Our Vineyards

Bremer River Red Gums and Wide Floodplains

Conditions for grape growing in Langhorne Creek are ideal thanks to the natural fertility of the floodplain soils, the ability of these soils to retain moisture from natural winter floods, and the moderation of the local climate by cooling evening breezes from nearby Lake Alexandrina and the Southern Ocean in summer. The red varieties thrive in this rich environment, which explains why over 75 per cent of all wine grapes grown are red wine grapes.

The harnessing of the natural flooding of the Bremer River by early grape growers makes the Langhorne Creek region quite unique. Having purchased 100 acres of land in 1850, Frank Potts developed a system of levees and floodgates to capture and divert a metre of water and nutrient rich silt across the entire vineyard. The vigour in growth caused by this natural abundance of water sometimes presented challenges, but it is now managed by modern viticultural practices.

Langhorne Creek experiences relatively low annual rainfall, so supplementary drip irrigation is used to provide the vines with every opportunity to produce optimal fruit. The soils for Bleasdale’s vineyards range from well drained, alluvial soils to brown loams over limestone.

Over the years, further varieties have been planted including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. As Bleasdale grew it established contract grape growing arrangements with an increasing number of growers. Some of these relationships are entering their third generation of arrangements. These days, we are often trialling new varieties and varietal clones to ensure that we are the forefront of innovation and quality.

In 2011, Bleasdale began sourcing Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc from the cooler Adelaide Hills region, and has quickly built a reputation for quality and value white wines.

Bleasdale’s Langhorne Creek red wines have fine tannin and fruit structure, and are highly regarded for their complexity and longevity; whilst the white wines of the Adelaide Hills display elegant fruit, balance and length of flavour.